Year 5 & 6
Welcome to Years 5 and 6!
If you would like to contact your child's teacher, please email directly: mr.roper@stmarys.leics.sch.uk mrs.horsler@stmarys.leics.sch.uk mr.cramp@stmarys.leics.sch.uk mrs.chamberlain@stmarys.leics.sch.uk
The staff in years 5 and 6 are:
Mr Roper (Newton class teacher and head of year)
Mrs Parry (Cousteau class teacher)
Mr Cramp (Hamilton class teacher)
Mrs Dowe (teaching assistant in Newton)
Mr Hibbitt (teaching assistant in Newton)
Mrs Potter (teaching assistant in Cousteau)
Mrs Chamberlain (Hamilton support teacher & SENDCO).
On here, you can find out about what we are learning,
see some examples of our work and see photographs of any events that are happening in school or in our year group.
Photos of the classrooms in years 5 and 6 for the start of term
Newton classroom
Cousteau classroom
Hamilton Classroom
Welcome back to school.
Supporting your child's learning from home
To support children after our school has had to close due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the following website links and activities might be useful to ensure that children can still remain active and learn whilst at home:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary
Daily lessons coming soon!!!!
Beginning Monday 20 April, BBC Bitesize will publish daily online lessons for all ages. We'll also have a new dedicated TV channel full of learning content, podcasts on BBC Sounds and loads of educational video on iPlayer.
Online maths activities and reading quizzes:
Active Learn Primary
ADVICE TO AVOID PROBLEMS WITH ACCESSING ACTIVE LEARN PRIMARY:
1) Make sue you try to access the UK version of Active Learn Primary (sometimes if you search for active learn primary on an internet search engine, the Australian version of the website appears)
2) Some of the links on the website work best if accessed via Google Chrome (Internet Explorer and Safari might prevent some of the 'popups' from loading)
3) If you struggle to log in due to 'cookie settings' issue on Safari (when using an Apple device), try to clear your search history and then try again.
4) If your child's login (username and password) isn't working, send an email to mr.roper@stmarys.leics.sch.uk. Mr Roper will respond to you as soon as possible
Your child has a login for Active Learn Primary. They can use their account to access lots of interactive maths games and also do online quizzes for any books they have read:
The school's code on the Active Learn Primary website is pgyx
Times Tables Rock Stars
Children from years 2 up to year 6 have access to https://www.ttrockstars.com/
When you load up the website, choose the 'login' tab at the top of the webpage, and select 'school pupils'. You should then type in 'Hinckley' and select 'St Mary's Primary School' before attempting to log in via your child's username and password.
If your child's login (username and password) isn't working, send an email to mr.roper@stmarys.leics.sch.uk. Mr Roper will respond to you as soon as possible
LOTS OF ONLINE MATHS ACTIVITIES CAN BE ACCESSED FOR FREE VIA THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE LINK (using Google Chrome, Safari or Edge):
Once you have clicked on the link, follow these steps:
1. Under 'Job Title', select 'Parent'
2. Enter your child's school's postcode and select the school name from the list
3. Enter your email and create a password
The company who provide this free access are continuing to update the Maths Hub regularly.
The following link has 25 fun maths activities you can do at home with your child / children:
The following websites also offer online maths activities:
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/maths/
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/11-14-years/number
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/11-14-years/algebra
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/11-14-years/money
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/11-14-years/shape-position-and-movement
The following websites also offer online English activities:
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/encouraging-reading-ages-9-11/
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/welcome-back/for-home/reading-owl/english--1
https://www.teachwire.net/news/7-of-the-best-online-grammar-games-for-ks2
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/spelling-and-grammar
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/punctuation
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/writing
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/stories
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/reading
This website has some fantastic interactive myths and legends for your child to read, listen to and watch:
Your child can practise their mindfulness techniques at home to help them focus and relax:
Home learning packs - week 1
Home learning packs - weeks 2 and 3 (English activities)
Home learning packs weeks 2 and 3 (maths activities)
Home learning packs - weeks 2 and 3 (other subjects)
Spellings to be learned during November 2019 to March 2020
Year 6 children can practise old SATS papers
These are old SATS tests from previous years - links to downloadable papers are available on this website (if you have access to a printer at home to print off the old SATS papers). Mark schemes for each SATS paper are also available.
Spring Term 2020
This term our first focus is
Clockwork' or All Wound Up
Written by Philip Pullman
Children's writing, which has been inspired by reading Clockwork
Each classroom has an immersive corner that is linked to the story of Clockwork
An overview of the topics we are planning on learning about across the curriculum in Upper Key Stage Two this year:
During November and December 2019, we read Berlie Doherty's 'Street Child'.
Each classroom had an immersive area linked to the story.
As historians this half-term, we are learning about:
Autumn 2019 - Stone Age Creative Homework
We have been blown away by the amazing homework projects that the
children have brought into school.
Thank you for your support.
During September and October 2019, all of the classrooms in years 5 and 6 were transformed into a set from
'Stig of the Dump',
as we read the book,
which was written by Clive King.
Stig of the Dump Immersive Corners in
years 5 and 6
Newton Class
Da Vinci Class
Raleigh Class
Autumn 1st half-term
As geographers, we are learning about map reading skills.
As mathematicians, we will be learning about place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. We will also improve our knowledge of multiplication facts. We will use our reasoning and problem solving skills in all of these areas.
As scientists, we are learning about properties and changes of materials.
As artists, we are studying the art of George Callaghan.
As designers, we are developing our sculpture skills.
In R.E., we will be finding out about 'What does it mean if God is holy and living?'
Spellings for 2019-2020 (September, October and November). These are based on words from the years 5 and 6 spelling list. We will aim to test the children about these spellings on Friday each week:
Week 1 - to be tested on Friday 7th September 2019
Week 2 - to be tested on Friday 14th September 2019
Week 3 - to be tested on Friday 21st September 2019
Week 4 - to be tested on Friday 28th September 2019
Week 5 - to be tested on Friday 4th October 2019
Week 6 - to be tested on Friday 11th October 2019
Week 7 - to be tested on Friday 25th October 2019
Week 8 - to be tested on Friday 1st November 2019
Week 9 - to be tested on Friday 8th November 2019
Week 10 - to be tested on Friday 15th November 2019
Week 11 - to be tested on Friday 22nd November 2019
Spellings for 2019-2020 (September, October and November). These are based on words from the years 5 and 6 spelling list. We will aim to test the children about these spellings on Friday each week.
2018 / 2019 - Our Harry Potter Classroom Immersive Corners from last year
World War 1
All of the classes in years 5 and 6 contain immersive drama areas based on Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, which is set in World War 1.
Our World War 1 Classroom Immersive Corners from last year
Spellings for 2018-2019 (November, December, January, February and March). These are based on spellings which have appeared on previous SATS tests
Hola Mexico! 
In our topic work, we have been thinking about light and dark. We have conducted some investigations that have been looking carefully at how shadows are created and factors that affect shadows. We even put on a shadow puppet play! We have also looked carefully at the human eye and thought about how we see different images. Here are some examples of the work we having been doing in science:
In D&T, we made guacamole. Some people thought it was delicious and some people said they wouldn't have it again, but the most important thing is that we all tried it - some of us for the first time! 
We used our peeling, chopping and mashing skills to create the Mexican dish. We all enjoyed the tortilla chips it was served with! Here are some instructions about how we made the dish and some reviews about how it tasted:
We used our peeling, chopping and mashing skills to create the Mexican dish. We all enjoyed the tortilla chips it was served with! Here are some instructions about how we made the dish and some reviews about how it tasted:
Sugar skulls are a traditional mask that are worn during Mexico's Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). Many people who are celebrating will paint their faces and dress up to represent the sugar skull. We created our own sugar skulls using black card and sticky paper. The children worked hard to create symmetrical patterns to decorate the skulls.
In Geography, we have been looking carefully at The Chihuahuan Desert and we have researched some facts using the iPads. In history, we have been thinking about the Maya civilisation. Here is some work we have done so far:
In computing, we have been looking at a unit of study called: 'We are Cryptographers'.
We have been thinking about different ways to send secret messages to people. 
At first, we used semaphore to try and send messages - we found this tricky.
Then, we looked at Morse code.
Finally, we looked at using the Caesar cipher to send message to one another.
Here is a few examples of our work:
Last half term, we read Holes by Louis Sachar.
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep.
There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.
But there are an awful lot of holes.
It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake?
Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
If you would like anymore information about how to keep your child safe online, please see this leaflet:
An example of a reading journal
